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This morning, as we come to our study, it is our joy to again look at Acts 24. We'll complete our look at Felix, the tragedy of a man who had great opportunity and postponed it and forfeited it. We're concerned, here at Grace Church, with studying the Word of God and taking it verse by verse. II Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable," so since all is profitable, we expect the Spirit of God to really teach our hearts in this passage.
We'll look at verses 1-27 as a total, and we have been dealing with those verses and going slowly through them. This passage does deal with the man, Felix. We know Felix was the Roman governor who was assigned to Judea. The Apostle Paul was on trial before him. Paul had been accused of certain crimes, all of them false charges. They had been drummed up by some antagonistic Jewish leaders who wanted to see Paul dead because he was such a threat to their theological security. So the case finally found its way to the governor of Judea, a man by the name of Felix.
As we look at the case, we not only see Paul and the history and example of his blameless life, we see God at work. Particularly, I think, for our study this time, we see Felix: a tragic, tragic man who had a life and death issue at hand, and squandered it. Felix must judge, in the case of Paul. The problem that really began in Jerusalem, as they tried to kill Paul, has now been pushed to a higher court, the court of Felix, in Caesarea, the Roman headquarters. Felix must make a legal decision regarding Paul, but beyond that, he must make a personal decision regarding Jesus Christ. That really is the ultimate.
The passage, then, deals with a legal aspect in the trial, and then a very personal aspect in the life of Felix. The record is the record of a man who forfeited a tremendous opportunity. You know, few men have had the privilege of having the Apostle Paul in their house for two years. With all of his brilliance, and all that he knew, and all that God could do with and through him, and all that Felix heard and was exposed to, the sad, sad truth that he rejected.
Let's look at the trail again, as we have, in these verses. There are three parts: the prosecution, the defense, and the judgment or verdict. We saw last time the prosecution. In verses 1-9, the Jews come to Caesarea and they accuse Paul of three things: sedition, that is, they say he is an insurrectionist, that he stirs up Jews against Rome, which is not true and he had not done that in Jerusalem at all. They secondly accused him of sectarianism, that is, not only was he a political criminal but he was a religious heretic. Sectarianism, he was a member of the sect of the Nazarenes, at the end of verse 5. The third thing they accuse him of is against God, that is sacrilege. Verse 6. "He goes about to profane the temple." So supposedly, he is a criminal against Rome, a criminal against Israel, and a criminal against God.
As we saw last time, all those charges against Paul are false charges, all of them. He is accused of all those things and guilty of none of them. But you know, I think we need to stop for a footnote here. This is something that I think Paul anticipated and expected; I think he took it for granted. I think, also, that throughout the history of the church, there is a groundwork laid not only Biblically but historically, for the fact that Christians who live holy lives in Satan's world will always have to contend with false charges, false accusations.
In order for you to see the perspective, let me take you back to a prophecy that Jesus gave in Matthew 10. We're going to look at a rather extended portion for a moment, but we'll cover it rapidly, so keep your attention on the passage and listen to the words of Jesus. Here, He sends out His disciples (or apostles), and tells them some certain things: what to do, what to look for, what to expect, how to react to it. He knows that when they go, they are going to have problems; this is anticipated.
Matthew 10:16. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." Now, the very first thing He says indicates that there will be a certain amount of hostility when they get out there. When they begin to confront the world with the truth, there is going to be hostility. They are sheep in the middle of wolves, and the very implication of that kind of metaphor is hostility. He says, "You should be as wise as serpents," that is, keen and shrewd, wily, not evil, but careful and clever in planning your strategy, and "As innocent, or guiltless, as doves." Clever and innocent. That is, you should do things with wisdom.
Paul has shown us again and again his blamelessness and again and again his cleverness in the way he was able to construct the situation for the benefit of the Gospel, even in the midst of a very negative and hostile audience. Verse 17 goes a step further. "Beware of men," isn't that interesting? Your biggest problem will be people. He doesn't say, "Beware of Satan." It's assumed that Satan is behind the scenes. "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, they will scourge you in the synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the pagans."
Notice the prophecy. Men are going to be your problem; don't naively trust men. Don't get suckered into confidence; don't fall into their traps. Don't do anything that would enable them to bring a valid charge against you. "They will bring you to councils." Paul had already experienced that, "They will scourge you in their synagogues," he was on the verge of being scourged not in the synagogue, but in Fort Antonia. Incidentally, the Jews did do the scourgings in their local synagogues. "And you shall be brought before governors and kings." Paul has, at this very time in which we see him, been brought before the governor, Felix. And in chapter 26, he'll be brought before the king, Agrippa. So here is Paul fulfilling, to the very letter, the prophecy that Jesus gave that was, for the most part, fulfilled by all the apostles. All of them.
He says, in effect, "Expect this." This is kind of a comforting thing in the middle of what He just said, "Be not anxious in how or what you shall speak. Don't worry about giving your testimony. For it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you who speaks, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." That is a direct promise to the apostles. I don't think we can accept that directly. That is the promise of divine inspiration, and that belonged to the apostles. It is similar to the promise in John 14:26 where Jesus said the Holy Spirit, "Will guide you into all truth and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have spoken." In other words, He would give the Gospel writers recall of all that Jesus said, accurately. That's revelation.
The promise here is that, when they opened their mouths, God would do the speaking; the Spirit would speak through them. I think, in an indirect sense, that can kind of passed down to us in the fact that the Spirit leads us and guides us. But we don't just open our mouths and God talks through them as did the apostles and Bible writers. So this is a promise dealing with inspiration. Of course, in all of the six phases of Paul's trial, whenever he spoke, he spoke revelation. God gave him the words and they are recorded in Scripture as the Word of God.
He says, in verse 21, other things that you can expect, "That brothers will deliver brothers to death, fathers will deliver children, children will rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death." For the sake of Christianity, brothers will kill each other, children will kill their parents, and parents will kill their children. That's how hostile the system is going to be to Christianity. That's a prophecy.
Verse 22. "You shall be hated of all for My name's sake." Notice the reason for this hostility is not because the person is a bad person; it's because of Jesus Christ. It says in I John that, "The whole world lies in the lap of the wicked one." So since Satan is controlling the world, since the prince of the power of the air dominates, and since he is so strongly against Christ, the system that persecutes the believer is really persecuting Christ. "You will suffer for My name's sake. It is because of who I am and because of the hatred for Me, they will pass their animosity on to you."
Now, skipping some thoughts, He goes down to verse 26. "Don't fear them, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hidden that shall not be known." In other words, don't be afraid, because ultimately, there will come a time when judgment will be done and proper rewards will be given and unmask the truth of who was real and who wasn't and who deserves reward and who doesn't. Don't fear.
Verse 27. "Whatever is going on in darkness will be revealed in light," so that's the way you should speak. "Whatever you've heard in secret, you speak out boldly. What you've heard in your ear, you shout from the housetops because, in the end, God will vindicate and truly reward."
Verse 28. "Don't be afraid of those who kill your body, but be afraid of that one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell," that's God. Fear God, not men. If you want to fear men, then you're going to clamp up and not give a bold testimony, right? So the Lord says, "Don't fear men. Fearing men will cause you to shut your mouth. Fearing God will cause you to open your mouth, because then you'll want to be obedient to Him."
He knows about you. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing." Did you know that God even knows when a bird dies? Verse 30. "The very hairs of your head are all numbered." For some of you, that's not a big problem. Verse 31. "Fear not, therefore, for you are of more value than many sparrows."
You say, "Does God actually count, 'One, two, three?'" He doesn't need to; He has instant information. He knows everything immediately. Anything that exists, He knows. He doesn't count and He doesn't discover truth; He knows everything. Now don't think about that for too long; it's very difficult. He doesn't count the hair on your head; He's not standing there, looking over your bathroom in the morning, watching what's falling on the floor. He has instant knowledge of everything. If it exists, it is cataloged in His brain.
Now, He goes on to talk about the fact that we should expect this and God is going to care for us; don't let it be something you're afraid of. You need to step out and be willing to pay a price. The price is going to be animosity from the system. Down in verse 36, He says, "You're going to have to expect that your foes are going to be in your own household, and realize that if you love your father or mother more than Me, you're not worthy of Me. You'll have to take up your cross and follow Me. If you really want to find your life, you're going to have to be willing to lose your life."
So you see, He says that there is going to be a price to be paid; expect that you'll get false charges. That's just part of it. They're going to accuse you because they're still hating Jesus. Satan is still militantly against Christ, and he attacks Christ through those who name the name of Christ.
In Luke 6:22, "Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and shall separate you from their company." Have you ever had that? When you're a Christian and no one wants anything to do with you? Have you been alienated, ostracized? "And when they shall reproach you," that means they'll knock you, criticize you, speak evil of you. "When they cast out your name as evil." Oh, that so-and-so, he's a Christian. He says, "When all that happens, blessed are you. For the Son of Man's sake." They're doing it because of Him.
What should be your reaction when they do this? I like this. Verse 23. "Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy." Oh, I'm getting persecuted again! See? You say, "Why should I leap for joy?" Because it says in the same verse, "Your reward is great in Heaven." That's exciting. Your reward is great in Heaven. Listen, you need to expect that the world is going to be antagonistic. You should expect false charges; it wasn't any shock to Paul. Now that's the prosecution and a footnote.
Let's look at the defense in Acts 24. Paul, having heard their false charges of sedition, sectarianism, and sacrilege against him, decides he'll answer them when he is asked to by Felix in verse 10. He replies categorically to the three accusations; first of all to the accusation of sedition, he replies in verses 11-13.
Verse 11 says, "Because thou mayest understand that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship." In other words, he says, "I trust your judgment in the case. You're going to know that I haven't committed sedition; you know that I haven't done anything to cause a political revolution. It's only been 12 days since I arrived, and seven of those days were in the temple purification (or nearly seven) and five of them I've been here in Caesarea. There was no time for me to do this."
Verse 12. "In those days when I was in the temple, they didn't find me disputing with anyone, I wasn't raising up the people [that means collecting a crowd] in the synagogue or the city. Neither can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. There is no proof that I have done any of these things. I haven't been here long enough to start a revolution. The time that I was here, I was in the temple, and the time that I was in the temple, I wasn't arguing with anyone and I was not creating a crowd to start a riot." But here they are, accusing him.
You know, it's amazing when you think about the fact that they accused Paul. It's another good illustration of the stupidity of man's evaluation. There are two men. Felix is cruel, evil, immoral, materialistic, greedy, oppressive, steeped in blood, ruling by brutality, gaining his position by collusion and corruption. Beside him stands the Apostle Paul - gentle, beloved, godly, Spirit-filled, courageous, kind, selfless, truthful, generous, hard-working, etcetera. And what do they say? "Oh, most noble Felix. This is a pain in the neck, a pestilent fellow." They don't know.
The world's perspective is always reversed. It reminds you of Jesus and Barabbas, doesn't it? There stands the lovely Son of God and a common, ordinary criminal, and they say, "Not this man, but Barabbas. Release unto us Barabbas. Crucify Jesus." The world's judgment. You can go back to Malachi. One of the seven deadly sins that destroyed Israel, Malachi said, was that they kept lifting up evil men. They kept exalting evil men. It's staggering, and we do that in our society even today. Stupid judgments of selfish men. They accused Paul, but the man who ought to have been accused was Felix, for his corruption. And they, in turn, for theirs as well.
So he replies, "There is no time for political sedition because I haven't been here long enough. It is obvious that I wasn't doing that, and there are no witnesses." That's the end of it, folks. If there aren't any witnesses, there is no accusation.
In verse 14, he answers the second of their accusations, that he was a religious heretic. He says, "This I confess unto thee, that after the Way, so worship I the God of my fathers. I admit, I do worship according to Christianity. But I am still a Jew; in fact, I consider myself, in the truest sense, a Jew. I worship the God of my fathers, I believe all things in the Law and Prophets. I have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust." In other words, "I am committed to the facts of Judaism right down the line. They are the heretics."
The implication is that they're not worshiping the true God; they don't believe all things in the Law and Prophets, and they don't believe in the resurrection. Since they were Sadducees, they didn't. "I am the true Jew; they're heretics." So he indicts them.
The third accusation was sacrilege, that he had attempted to profane the sacred temple and was accused of blaspheming God. He replies to that in verses 17 and following. Notice verse 16. He says, "In this do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men. I have a clear conscience; I have not created a riot, I have not gone into a heresy, and I have not blasphemed God. I neither offend men or God; I have a clear conscience."
Then he replies to the accusation of sacrilege in verse 17. "After many years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings." He explains what he was doing when he came, to show his motive. It wasn't to blaspheme God. It was after many years, and it could have been four years since he was there before, or it could have been many years since he had lived there and went on the road to Damascus. Either way, it was many years.
So after many years, "I came simply to bring alms to my nation." Alms means money for the needy. "I came here for one reason: I had to bring money to the needy." Remember he had collected that money from all the Gentile Christians, and he was bringing it to give to the Jewish Christians as a sign of love. He said, "I came to bring alms to my nation, even offerings." You say, "What is the difference between alms and offerings?" Alms is the definition of what he brought; an offering is the source of what he brought. It was the money for the needy given by the Gentiles. They were offerings that he brought to give to the needy. "That's why I came."
I want you to notice something interesting. He says, "After many years, I came to bring alms to my nation." You say, "Well, wait a second. He didn't give them to the nation, he gave them to the Christian Jews." Mark what I told you last week; the only true Jew in existence is what? The Christian Jew, one who is a Jew not outwardly, but inwardly. So there is no reason to qualify that.
You say, "Well, maybe Paul is getting himself off the hook by using a generality." Not really. Paul didn't distinguish the Christian Jew from the rest because, in his mind, a true Jew was one who believed in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He was right. So he did bring, to his nation, these things. "I came here," he says, "To bring alms to my nation, offerings. There I was in the temple, minding my own business," that's in the white spaces between 17 and 18.
Verse 18 says, "Whereupon certain Jews from Asia," Asia Minor, a Roman province where Paul had preached at Ephesus for three years, "Found me, purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult." Now notice he says, "I was in the temple, carrying out a simple vow of purification, going through that Nazarite vow, worshiping in that very Jewish way, that customary way. And these Jews from Asia Minor came and they found me there. There was no multitude gathered, there was no riot going on. They saw that; I was doing nothing there. I had not desecrated the temple so that a multitude had grabbed me. I had not desecrated the temple so that it started a hassle. When they came upon me, there was no multitude there, there was no tumult there."
Believe me, if he had done what they accused him of, dragged a Gentile into the inner part, there would have been a hassle going on.
"There was no tumult, there was no crowd, I was simply there, doing what I was doing, and they seized upon me." And they did. They said, "This is our chance to get rid of that guy while he's here; we've got a mob, let's get him. They tried to kill him; read it in Acts 21:27-30.
They just jumped on him and tried to kill him on the spot. They were so angry with him because of what he had done in their own province. So many Jews had been saved, and it put such a dent in their synagogue attendance, and it was undermining the whole of their operation. They were very venomous toward Paul, so they tried to kill him. He says, "I was just there. There was a crowd, but I hadn't violated a thing. I was there purified." Rather than desecrating, he was purified. He had just gone through a catharsis; he had gone through a customary approach to a real cleansing, a time of dedication and commitment so far from desecrating. He had been really dedicated in those hours, in those days.
In verse 19, he throws a monkey wrench in their whole plan. He says, "Who ought to have been here before thee and objected, if they had anything against me." In other words, "If there was a hassle going on in there, you ought to get some of the people who were in the hassle to come here and give testimony. Where are your witnesses? I mean, you just came in here and said I was desecrating the temple, but who says so? Give me some eyewitnesses. Where are they? If I was starting something in there, if I dragged a Gentile in there and created havoc, where are the eyewitnesses?" There weren't any. You know why? Because he hadn't done it. I don't know, maybe they were afraid to bring in a lying witness because maybe his lie would be exposed.
Verse 20. "Let them come, or else, let these same here say." Or, he says, "Felix, what about these guys? Ananias and the elders and these guys here, why don't you let them tell you if they found any evildoing in me while I stood before the council? I mean, if there are no eyewitnesses from the supposed desecration of the temple, why don't you let them tell you what they determined in the council?"
Remember, at the council, they said, "We're going to find out what this guy did," but it ended in a riot. They never did find out anything. "Let them tell." Well, they didn't have anything to say; they didn't find out anything. So there was no accusation from witnesses and there was no accusation from the Jewish hearing. The only thing they could come up with, in verse 21, "Except for this one thing, that I cried, standing among them, concerning the resurrection of the dead, I am called into question by you this day. The only thing they can accuse me of is making an issue out of the resurrection. That is all."
Of course, Paul knows that's no criminal issue at all, it's a theological discussion. These guys were standing right there; they had been in the council, but they had nothing to say. There was no accusation given. The only thing they could say was that he had said something about the resurrection and someone got uptight about it. That's all; it was theological, no issue for a court.
Incidentally, Felix knew this. He knew it even before Paul's testimony, because in Acts 23:29, he got a letter from the tribune of Jerusalem who explained it. "Whom I perceived," he said, "To be accused of questions of their law but having nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or bonds." In other words, Claudius Lysias, when he sent Paul to Felix, sent this letter along and said, "Felix, this guy hasn't done one thing to break the law. It's a whole theological issue between the Jews."
So the last of Paul's testimony is in verse 21. What he does is, he throws the whole case back into theology. It's a very wise move. Here he is, wise as a serpent, throwing the whole case into the theological area. And he knows from experience that a Roman judge cannot make a determination in a case or regarding Jewish theology. There is no crime, no criminal act, no civil crime; there is nothing. Felix knew that, he knew the real issue. Paul just gave him the responsibility. He said, "The only thing they've got that hassles them is that I made a statement concerning the resurrection of the dead. That's probably the only issue they could bring up."
Now, the key to this testimony is verse 16. "In this do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and man." What he says in giving his testimony is, "I have a clear conscience. My life is blameless." Tremendous. No crime. It is tremendous to be able to stand up in front of a court and not only be as wise as serpents, but be as blameless and innocent as doves. Then you are a rebuke to all those who would accuse you. You put to silence their accusations.
So that's the prosecution and defense. The only thing left is the verdict, or the judgment. Part three. You tell me, what is the verdict? What is the only possible verdict that could ever be rendered? What is it? Innocent. There are no witnesses, right? The preliminary hearing held at the Jewish Sanhedrin had no conclusion at all, and the only issue involved in the whole thing is theological. The only verdict possible is 'innocent.'
What does Felix do? What is the verdict that he gives? He is not a moron; he knows, he's competent. He has judged cases before. He knows that the Jews have perjured themselves from the beginning of the trial to the end. They perjured themselves at the very beginning, when they arrived, by having Tertullus say all those nice things about Felix that none of them believed. They lied about that; they lied about what happened when Claudius Lysias rescued Paul. They lied about that. Felix knew from the letter from Claudius what went on. They lied about the accusations because they had no witnesses to support them. They lied about everything. The amazing thing is, when Paul is finished, they don't say a word. From verse 9 on, their mouths are slammed shut; they have nothing to say.
What is Felix going to do? Well, he has a problem. He knew the Jews lied, he knew the witnesses had perjured, but he was afraid. What was he afraid of? Well, he has a Roman citizen on his hands, and Roman citizens had certain rights. A Roman citizen who didn't get his rights could make trouble for Felix, but he had a worse problem. He had a lot of Jews on his hands who were very angry, and when you have a lot of very angry and uptight Jews, it causes revolutions. When you are the governor and you have revolutions, you are in real trouble with Rome.
Remember Pilate? The ultimate reason that Pilate finally allowed Jesus to be crucified is that he wanted to pacify the Jews because he was afraid he'd lose his job if he couldn't rule well. Felix is trapped in the same thing. On one hand, his relationship to Rome and Roman law is at stake; on the other hand, his relation to the Jews is at stake. So he does what every pure politician does: nothing. He compromised. Now, I'm not saying all people in public office do that, I'm saying pure politicians do. He didn't do anything.
Here's the first insight into the man; here is his judgment. Verse 22. "When Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that Way," isn't that interesting? What does that mean? What was the Way? Christianity. He had more perfect knowledge of Christianity; this guy knew more about Christianity than they did, than the accusers did. This was an informed man.
You say, "Why did the Holy Spirit put that in there?" Just to give you a little added insight into how responsible that man was to make a right judgment. That man knew enough about Christianity to do what was right, and he knew that this whole issue was a theological debate between Judaism and Christianity; that's what it's saying. Luke is telling us that Felix knew what the right answer was; that Felix, having a more perfect knowledge of the Way, knew what he should have done. But he deferred the thing, saying, "When Lysias, the chief captain, shall come down, then I will determine the case." Coward.
You know that there is no record, ever, that he called Claudius Lysias down there? And there is no record that Claudius Lysias ever came. He just permanently postponed the thing. That's a coward's act. Now, he had a knowledge of Christianity. Where did he get it? Well, he lived in Caesarea, and so did Philip, an evangelist. There were a lot of other Christians, and he was in Judea for eight or nine years, and there were tens of thousands of Christians all over the place. He had been very, very familiar with Christianity. Some say he was a friend and acquaintance of Simon Magus, Simon the Sorcerer, who had been exposed to Christianity and that Simon Magus had first communicated to him.
That's somewhere in ancient history, we don't know. But he knew enough, he knew enough to make a right evaluation that this was not a criminal issue but a theological one. He knew enough about Christianity to be responsible; he was like Pilate. He was convinced of the testimony of the accused, but he was afraid of the Jews. So he postponed the decision until Claudius Lysias could come and add information, but he never called Claudius Lysias. It was a convenient non-decision, it was a nothing, it was a postponement.
Look what verse 23 says; here's what he really did. "He commanded a centurion," that's a soldier over 100 other soldiers, "To keep Paul and let him have liberty." And here's this stupid compromise. He's going to give Paul a modified freedom and pacify his conscience. "That he should forbid none of his acquaintances to minister or come unto him." So he puts Paul into a sort of modified confinement under the care of this centurion, and he is somehow bound in some sort of confinement. I don't know what the bonds were. He had liberty and his friends and acquaintances could come to him at will, but this is really the act of a coward. He postpones everything.
Let me stop at this point and say that is really the story of the history of Paul's trial before Felix; it just ends there. That's the trial. Looking at the thing historically, as I look through those 23 verses, what comes out is the innocence of Paul, doesn't it? The beautiful blamelessness of his character. It's the record of a trial, the record of a man before a pagan judge, being accused by Jewish accusers, who comes off innocent.
I mean, let's face it folks, it's just like the case of Christ. If there was any real accusation, they would have made it. If there were any bona fide witnesses who saw that crime, they would have been there. But there were no real accusations, there were no bona fide witnesses. If there was one little detail of Paul's life, when he stood up and said, "My conscience is clear," they would have said, "Wait a minute, fellow. It can't be clear because we know that you did such-and-such, and here's the guy who will say that you did it." But they had no one like that; they had nothing to say. They are absolutely faded into the silence. There was no response. There was no accusation. This man was not only as wise as a serpent, he was as harmless as a dove; he was innocent.
Beloved, let me tell you something. If you live a life for Jesus Christ in this world, you're going to get some accusations. You should be able to stand against those accusations with the same kind of conscience that Paul did: innocent, blameless, holy. So the trial aspect, as we look at it from Paul's perspective, gives to us a beautiful picture of a man who is a holy man, who can stand before a group of people who are searching every corner they can find to get something against him and they can't find anything. So should it be in your life.
Now let's look at this thing from a second perspective, as we kind of wind down our thoughts. What about God's perspective? How do we see God in this passage, aside from seeing Paul? Is God here at all? It seems strange, because it says in verse 27 that Paul stayed for two years in that imprisonment. You say, "Has God been overruled? Has God had to sit by and bide His time while Paul sat in jail? Is that what happened? Was the plan of God interrupted, was He overruled?" No. Then why did He want this to happen? Was it in His sovereign will? Of course it is. But why did He allow it?
Some say He allowed it because Paul needed to sit around and figure out his strategy for Rome, but I don't know that that's true. I mean, he was a prisoner in Rome when he got there. There wasn't a whole lot of strategy to that. Others say he needed to get accustomed to the Roman style of living, but I don't know that that's any good, because he'd been wandering around Roman countries for years and years. If he didn't know Roman style by now, he would never know it. You say, "Well, why in the world does the Lord want that guy sitting in that cell for two years?"
You know what's amazing about it? The whole time he's there, we don't know of any sermon that he preached or anything that he ever wrote. Can you imagine the Apostle Paul, going for two years without writing something or preaching? Now, there may have been times when he wrote something or preached, but we don't have record of it. You say, "Well then, what's going on here?" You know what I believe? This is just me, and it's nothing obvious in the text, it's just what I think may be a possibility. I really think this may have been furlough. I mean, he had been chased all over the world for long enough. He needed a rest. Besides, he had so much to accomplish in his lifetime and he worked so fast, he probably had a few years left over. So the Lord said, "You might as well just take a couple off."
He'd been all over the Roman world, and it all kind of climaxed in Jerusalem. He was nearly beaten to death, he was slugged in the face, he was clamored after and yanked apart, he was thrown into custody, he was hustled to Caesarea by 470 Roman soldiers, he went through this trial. I just think a guy comes to a place in the service of the Lord where he's just got to stop.
A little key thought bounces out in verse 23 that made me think this. "He commanded a centurion to keep Paul and let him have liberty. That he should forbid none of his acquaintances to minister." The implication there is that they came to minister to him. That's a nice idea for a change, isn't it? I'm sure that Luke and Aristarchus were with him too, so he had some good fellowship. Philip probably hung around a lot, and there were probably a lot of believers in the local area of Caesarea who came down during the two years and spent time with him; I'm sure he was discipling some people and I'm also sure that, when I get to Heaven, I'm going to meet some of Felix's soldiers. Maybe that centurion is there.
I'll tell you, I think it's a time when God let him rest from what he'd been through and getting ready for the worst, which was to come, that finally ended in his execution. God knows. Whatever the thing is, God knew that Paul needed two years there. Whatever God accomplished was within His purpose, not outside of it.
Lastly, we need to look at Felix. We've seen Paul, we've seen God at work, now let's look at Felix. What a sad character. His past is bad, his present is compromised, and indecision in his future is tragic. Let's see what happened in the case of Felix; the Spirit of God gives us notes on Felix here in verse 24. "After certain days," that is, after time has passed since Paul has been made a prisoner, "When Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ."
This is most interesting. First of all, "After certain days, Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess." Now what probably could have transpired here was that Felix may have had his exposure to Christianity through Drusilla. If, in fact, she was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I, the Herod Agrippa of the New Testament, then he would have been very familiar with the beginnings of Christianity. She may have been very inquisitive about all the ins and outs, as was, perhaps, Felix.
Incidentally, Felix saw her when she was married to the king of Emesa, a part of Syria, and he liked her. She was really young, 15 or so, and she was supposed to be a raving beauty, according to historians. Felix saw her and said, "That's for me," and seduced her and stole her away. So the whole thing was a rotten, immoral, disgusting thing from the beginning.
So there they come, the two of them. "And Paul spoke concerning the faith in Christ." Notice he spoke concerning 'the faith' not faith; he didn't speak concerning faith in Christ, that is, he didn't speak concerning putting your faith in Christ. That's not what it's saying, although I'm sure he got into that. It's saying he spoke concerning 'the faith' in Christ. If he spoke concerning faith in Christ, that's subjective. If he spoke concerning the faith, that's objective. In other words, he gave him the content of the Gospel.
What 'the faith' of Christ means is the totality of Christian content; he gave him all the Gospel. He told him Jesus was God, born of a virgin, lived a miraculous life, died on the cross for the deliverance from sin, rose the third day from the dead. He told him all the facts of the Gospel. That's the content, that's the faith. That's what Jude meant when he said, "Contend for the faith," the embodiment of truth, the content of the Gospel. So Paul detailed the Gospel. That's exciting. Paul sat down and Felix heard; Felix and Drusilla listened. Paul talked about who Christ was, why He came, what He accomplished, the whole Gospel.
He also gave them the back side of it. Look at verse 25. "And as he reasoned," dialogued, he didn't preach at him, he talked to him, discussed with him, "Of righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come, Felix trembled." Part of the faith, part of the content of the faith, is righteousness, self-control, judgment to come. Now watch. Those three areas must be included in the presentation of the Gospel.
Righteousness is God's divine ideal, the absolute standard. What does God demand? Absolute righteousness. Jesus says, "Be ye holy." You say, "How holy?" Even as your Father in Heaven is holy. Be perfect even as God is perfect. God's absolute demand is righteousness. The second word is self-control; that's man's required response. God has an absolute ideal, and you'd better control yourself to come into conformity with that standard. So he told Felix, "Here's God's standard, and God demands that you conform to it. If you don't," that's the third word: judgment to come. That's the Gospel. God's absolute ideal; you must conform to it or be judged.
I'm telling you, this could get very personal to Felix. After Paul presented the ideal of righteousness, he then started shooting down Felix because he had no self-control at all. He was sitting there with a woman that he had stolen and seduced. His life was a debauchery. He started to talk to Felix about his sin, and the fact that he had not lived up to God's standard. God demanded absolute righteousness and here's Felix living way below that level. The ultimate end is judgment to come, and I believe that Paul must have fired out with some kind of conviction.
Friends, that's the Gospel, and you can't give the Gospel unless you give it at that level. I believe this gives us the normative pattern for evangelism; one-to-one, two sides. The problem of sin, righteousness, self-control and judgment, and the faith in Christ. Who He was and what He did to overcome your inability. You know, you show a man that here is God's standard, you have to live up to it and if you don't, you get judged. Then you say to the man, "But because you can't live up to it, Jesus Christ took your penalty, paid your judgment, and offers you His righteousness by faith." That's the Gospel.
Let me add this. It says in John 16:8 that the Spirit has come to convict man of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The same three things. To convict of righteousness (God's absolute ideal), sin (man's inability to live up to it), and judgment that results if he doesn't. So if you present righteousness, sin, and judgment, you're right on the Spirit's wavelength. You've got to give that in the Gospel, because that's what the Spirit wants to use to convict. The Spirit wants to convict men of those three areas, so they must be covered. God's absolute standard, man's inability to meet that standard, and the ultimate judgment that comes consequently.
Well, that really got to Felix. It says in that verse that he trembled; the Greek is that he shuddered. He shuddered; it just got to him. Our little girl Melinda started doing that recently when she gets disciplined. It's kind of interesting to see, you can kind of relate to it. I'll say to her, "Stop that Melinda," and I'll smack her on the leg, then she'll just shudder. It's something about that, that I catch her doing that, that conviction that penetrates. Even that little one, she just shudders all over.
Well, Felix is a grown man, and here are the Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul presented the facts, and the Holy Spirit took the facts and used them as point of conviction, and the man started to shake and tremble under such tremendous conviction. You say, "That's good." You're right; that's good. But what happened?
"Felix answered." Man, there were so many things he could have said. He could have said, "OK, OK, what do I do? I want to believe." He said, "Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I'll call for you." Felix, that's not what you should have done. Tragic, tragic. As long as he was shaken, he was doing all right. But it wasn't long before he stopped trembling, and before long, when he heard Paul talk, it didn't mean a thing to him. You know what happens?
A habit starts out as a little silver thread that a child can break, and it soon becomes a cord that a giant can't sever. When you keep resisting, it becomes harder and harder and harder. That's why Paul said to the Corinthians, "Today is the day of salvation. Call on Him while He is near."
Clarkson said, and I quote, "If vice has slain it's thousands and pride it's thousands, surely procrastination has slain it's tens of thousands. The man who is consciously refusing to serve God knows where he stands and what he is; he knows he is a rebel against God, standing on perilous ground. But he who thinks he is about to enter the Kingdom shelters himself under the cover of his imaginary submission and goes on and on until sinful habit has him in its iron chain, or until pale-faced death knocks at his door and he is found unready."
He's right. It is better for a man to be hostile against the Gospel, because at least he knows where he stands, than it is for a guy to be hanging around the edge saying, "I'm coming, I'm coming," and he never comes. He fools himself, in the deceitfulness of sin, into thinking he will do what he won't do. Now is the time. Foolish men procrastinate.
Archias, who was a supreme magistrate in Thebes according to the history books, was having a huge feast and celebrating like mad. A courier ran up to him in great haste with a paper in his hand and said, "Read these letters! Read these letters immediately!" Archias said, "Tomorrow, tomorrow," and laughed, and stuffed the letter under his couch and went on feasting. The same night, conspirators attacked and slaughtered everyone in the palace. It was foolish.
For Felix, as long as the tremble was there, hope was there. But when he quit trembling, he was in trouble. He did. Verse 26 tells us not to wait for a convenient season; there's no time like now. Verse 26. "He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul."
You know, that crummy character, in the back of his mind, his perspective was to get money out of Paul; he wanted a bribe. Do you realize that kind of materialism? That man would do for money what he wouldn't do for the sense of justice. That man would put himself in jeopardy for money, but nothing else. He wasn't about to let Paul go because the Jews might hassle him, but he might let Paul go if he got money, and then he wouldn't care if the Jews hassled him. Oh, "The love of money," Paul says to Timothy, "Is root of all kinds of evil." And he loved it.
You say, "What made him think Paul had any?" Well, he probably thought that if Paul brought all this money to Jerusalem, he probably had some. And since he was the leader of the Nazarenes, according to the accusation, he figured he had some money. So he thought he'd get a bribe, or at least the Christians could have pooled their money and bought him off.
Verse 26. "Wherefore he sent for him the oftener and communed with him." He sent for Paul again and again and again. What did they talk about? You guess; what do you think Paul talked about? You say, "But it doesn't say he was ever convicted again." That's the sad part. There is no record in the Scriptures that there was ever a convenient season. He just wanted money. What a fool! I mean, what will it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his soul? Jesus said, "What will a man give in exchange for his soul? What price is he going to pay for that?"
Often he heard Paul. Often. For two years, again and again he heard him. Sad. Verse 27. "After two years, Porcius Festus came into Felix's palace." The reason Felix got dumped was because there was a big riot in Caesarea and Felix put it down with such violence that the Jews were outraged, and the outraged Jews managed to get his recall from Rome. So he lost his office. So it didn't work anyway. After two years, Porcius Festus came to Felix's place, and Felix, wanting to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound. He was afraid the Jews would pursue him even when he was out of office, that the Jews would send their grievances further. They were on his hide, that's why he lost his job, and he was afraid they'd pursue it until he lost his life, so he tried to pacify them by leaving Paul a prisoner.
So here's Paul, two years in there, no case ever closed, no final testimony ever given, and Felix just keeps him in prison. He turns him over to Festus, and we'll see in our next study what Festus tries to do with him. It's a sad story; a man who preserved himself, a man who wanted money forfeited what mattered. You know, he's a classic illustration of Hebrews 10; he's a classic person who has all the information. He says in Hebrews 10:26, "If we sin willfully after we have received knowledge of the truth, there remains no sacrifice for sin, only judgment." If you sin willfully after the knowledge of the truth, it's hopeless.
Shakespeare put it this way. "There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to victory. Omitted, the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and miseries. On such a false sea we are now afloat, and we must take the current when it comes or lose." Shakespeare was right; Felix lost.
I don't know where you are, but I am sure there are some of you here who have probably thought about receiving Jesus Christ and you've never done it. You've said, "I'm going to do it. Someday, I'm going to do it. When I have a convenient season." But there is never a convenient season and you're lulled into the deceitfulness of sin to think there ever will be. I say to you, today, harden not your heart. Come while you still have the opportunity to receive Christ. Let's bow in prayer.
While your heads are bowed, before we dismiss, let me say this. If there are some of you who have been with us this morning, who have heard this word, and you're like Felix: you've heard it all and you know the way, you keep saying, "I'm going to do it someday." Maybe today, the Spirit has convicted your heart and today is the day you want to do it, today is the day you want to step over the threshold before the cord becomes so strong that it can't be broken. When we are finished with our prayer, our counseling room will be open. Instead of leaving and going away, we invite you to just slip into the counseling room. There will be some folks there who would love to introduce you to Jesus Christ. It is also open to any of you who have a spiritual need, or who want to become a part of Grace Church. It is there and we'll counsel you in any area. But particularly, those of you who have been postponing this commitment, we invite you to come when we're dismissed.
Father, thank You for the lessons that we see so clearly in the life of Felix. Our hearts are grieved over the man, but thankful that You gave us the lesson that we might not fall into the same trap. If there are any here this morning who have been postponing, waiting for a convenient season, Father, we pray that today will be the day they respond to Christ, before it becomes too late for them. We commit them to You, and ourselves as well. Use us this week to bear the message of Jesus Christ to others who need so much to hear. We give You the praise. In Christ's name, Amen.
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AP ENTERPRISE: In wake of officer's killing, cop-cadet sex case shown to have precedents
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) ' When an on-duty police officer was shot and killed by a colleague a month ago, residents of this agricultural community north of Santa Barbara were horrified. Outrage grew when they learned the shooting occurred as fellow officers tried to arrest the policeman on suspicion he was having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in the city's "Police Explorers" program.
But inappropriate relationships between officers and youths in the junior police program aren't all that rare. No organization keeps statistics but an Associated Press examination of news accounts during the 21 years since the Explorers was spun off from the Boy Scouts of America found at least 97 cases involving officers accused of sexual assault on minor girls, and sometimes boys, in the program.
And that's likely a fraction of all such incidents, said Samuel Walker, a University of Nebraska-Omaha criminal justice professor and expert on police misconduct and accountability. Most relationships never become public because a youth is unlikely to report it and even if fellow officers are aware, they're reluctant to do anything,
"More often than not other officers know that something wrong is going on and they don't report it," Walker said. "Police departments are like villages: everybody gossips and everybody knows."
The Explorer program is run by Learning for Life, a subsidiary of Boy Scouts of America that pairs young people 14 to 21 with police mentors who take them on ride-alongs, and teach them to write reports and direct traffic in the hope they'll be inspired to pursue law enforcement careers. It is open to anyone, male or female.
Learning for Life representatives would not speak directly to AP, but answered written questions submitted through a public relations firm. National Director Diane Thornton said mentors, before participating, go through a training program aimed at keeping young people safe. Explorers under 18 can't go on ride-alongs after midnight and should not be used in covert operations or as confidential informants or sources, she said.
In Santa Maria, the department apparently did use an underage Explorer in a covert operation ' the alleged female victim. She was part of a sting in January set up to get Officer Alberto Covarrubias to reveal the relationship so officers could make the arrest. He did divulge the information, sources say, but the arrest went awry when the 29-year-old, married officer resisted and shots were fired.
The shooting has shaken the department. In a recent vote, officers overwhelmingly expressed no confidence in Chief Danny Macagni. He declined to comment for this story and a department spokesman refused to talk about the Explorer program.
"I can't talk to you about anything regarding the Explorers at this point," Lt. Rico Flores said. "It's obvious we still have an internal investigation going on, so it's premature to look at anything involving the program and make any changes."
Thornton wrote that each law enforcement agency is responsible for monitoring and establishing policies to "further protect Explorers." She said the organization will work with the Santa Maria department as it evaluates its program.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in southeast California changed its policies last year after Deputy Nathan Gastineau, 31, was charged with lewd acts upon a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old Explorer. In August 2011, another deputy, Anthony James Benjamin, 30, agreed to a plea bargain giving him nine months in jail on two counts of oral copulation of a 17-year-old Explorer.
After those incidents, Sheriff Rod Hoops suspended the program for his 216 Explorers. When it resumed there was a 10 p.m. curfew for teens. A limit was established for the number of times an Explorer can ride with the same deputy, and a watch commander now must sign off on all ride-alongs.
"It's a good program," sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said. "We've got a couple of deputy chiefs who started out as Explorer scouts."
Neither Learning for Life nor the Boy Scouts keep track of sexual abuse cases involving Explorers. Neither do organizations such as The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or the U.S. Office of Violence Against Woman. The University of Nebraska-Omaha did a simple web search in 2003 and found 39 such cases in the media dating to 1995.
Among the places where busts have occurred are Nogales, Ariz., where last year Officer Mariano Garibay received a two-year prison sentence for sex with a 16-year-old Explorer. Also last year, former Burlington, N.C., Officer William Matthew Hill pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old Explorer. In Brownwood, Texas, in 2007 Sgt. Vince Ariaz, the founder of the local Explorer program, pleaded guilty to reduced charges of sexual assault on a 15-year-old Explorer and was sentenced to three concurrent 20-year terms.
In California, the San Benito County Sheriff's Department suspended its program after rumors surfaced following a camping trip with Explorers and officers to Yosemite National Park. The deputy and the girl under suspicion denied wrongdoing, but three years ago when the officer was accused of spousal rape investigators went back to the former Explorer for corroborating evidence. She admitted an affair and said she had been afraid to speak up at the time.
"Where it hurts is that in law enforcement we are held to a higher standard," said Curtis Hill, who was undersheriff at the time and later served as sheriff. "We're in a position of trust. These young people are looking up to them as examples of a future career path. When you mix in that human condition sometimes these employees forget the higher standard."
Andre Pena, a fourth-year Explorer in Clovis, Calif., said he's never seen anything but professional relationships between officers and young people in the program. His experience has inspired him to pursue a criminal justice degree with plans to return to the city's police force after graduation.
"I think the biggest change in me over the years is growing my leadership skills," he said. "When I first joined it was to get an inside look at law enforcement as a possible career choice, and it has strengthened the idea for me."
While everyone acknowledges the rate of abuse is low among the 105,000 young people in the Explorer program each year, for those who are victimized the damage can be lasting.
"You have an under-aged person incapable of making mature decisions who is pressured by someone you've always been told you can rely on. It has a devastating impact," said attorney Dennis Steinman, who successfully sued on behalf of a girl in the Explorer program in Tualatin, Ore., who was sexually abused by four officers. The abuse causes victims to "question their own self-worth, their own sexuality, their own importance in life," he said.
Violations of trust by priests, teachers, coaches and others with authority over children are tragic occurrences that make salacious headlines. But with police it seems especially egregious since they enforce sexual assault laws and should be sensitive to the long-term emotional and psychological harm caused by sexual exploitation, said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"When it's a police officer who represents a broader kind of authority, who are you going to tell?" he asked.
Julie Reed Bell and Susan James of the AP News Research Center contributed to this story.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tconeap

subset: commoncrawl


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The members of my family take varying degrees of interest in my kitchen work. My brothers can barely remember the name of the restaurant, whereas my parents assault me with the same questions every week.
Essential techniques, recipes, and more!
"What do you do all day?" "What did you cook?" "What did they feed you?" "Is that different from last week?"
While I appreciate their desire to understand where I disappear to every Sunday (and why), I have a hard time bringing myself to answer the same questions week after week. Most likely, I helped make pasta, quartered some mushrooms and cut my weight in artichoke hearts, just like the week before.
"But what did you cook?"
Contrary to my parents' stubborn belief, I don't cook much at The Restaurant. On occasion, I bring pots of water to a boil and even help prepare family meal from time to time, but I am not a line cook. I just help Jeff produce the swatch of fresh pastas offered on the menu in the safety of the pasta closet. Up until recently, I did not even know the recipe or process for making dough.
"Well, you must be very good by now."
There is so much to learn about pasta. There is a reason behind every step in the process, an understanding of the dough's chemistry that you must achieve. Sixteen weekends isn't nearly enough time to begin learning it all.
Each recipe is just the starting point, especially when working with high volume production: you have to adjust for moisture in each batch while taking into consideration a number of variables. In the summer, when it is humid, your dough will need less liquid to bind it as opposed to drier seasons. Even depending on the time of day, pasta dough can dry out at significantly different rates.
Then there is the rolling of the dough. Even with a machine, there's a meticulous, pasta-specific method for rolling. There is a correct way to fold the dough before feeding it into the machine. There is a correct way to feed it in. There is a correct way to flip the sheets of dough (lengthwise, never width-wise). Some pastas get floured in between rollings, some do not.
Depending on the pasta, the dough will get rolled a specific number of times to varying degrees of thickness. No two pastas are the same.
Forming and portioning each type of pasta takes time to learn as well. Filled pastas can burst if they are not sealed correctly, and noodle pastas can crack or gum up if portioned improperly. While no one step is particularly difficult, it is the combination of all the steps, executed perfectly, that produces restaurant-quality pasta. If any part of the process is neglected, it will show on the plate.
The pasta production process is complete once we've filled the freezer with fresh portions of new stock. All of the pasta sauces are prepared ahead of time by line cooks. I've only ever prepped parts of sauces. I prepared an egg slurry for our carbonara and cubed up quarts of mirepoix for the Bolognese. I am more comfortable with the Bolognese prep because I can surreptitiously eat whole handfuls of my mistakes—no such luck with the carb egg. Beyond those two, I know little about the more complicated sauces that top the pasta dishes.
So, to answer my parents, I'm not very good just yet. How can I be when I can't even name all the ingredients in any given sauce, much less cook up a serving?
Hopefully with some luck and a lot more time, I will eventually commit all the sauces to my repertoire. But for now, I'm just going to concentrate on cubing more than one layer of carrots at a time.


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Christoph Waltz Joins Robert De Niro and Jason Clarke in Candy Store
From Syriana director Stephen Gaghan.
Traffic screenwriter and Syriana helmer Stephen Gaghan already had a promising project on his hands when he signed Robert De Niro and Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, The Great Gatsby) for Candy Store. But now Gaghan's got Christoph Waltz, two-time Oscar winner/great dude! Set in Brooklyn's criminal underworld (too underground even for hipsters to know about), the film follows an ex-cop "who discovers the global organization he fought is now in his backyard." Waltz will play "a Cold War consigliere posing as a typical American suburbanite."


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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Casino mogul and GOP super donor Sheldon Adelson presented a more cantankerous face during his second day of testimony in a breach of contract case in Las Vegas.
He bickered with the judge and disparaged the skills of Hong Kong businessman Richard Suen, who is suing Las Vegas Sands for $328 million he says he is owed for working behind the scenes to help win a gambling license in the Chinese enclave of Macau.
The casino company says it won the license on its own.
Adelson, the company's CEO, sparred with lead Suen attorney John O'Malley during questioning Friday, prompting several reprimands from the judge. By the end of the morning, he and Judge Rob Bare had developed a running joke about sounding like a bickering couple.
"I think you have something in common with my wife," Adelson said, after being told he needed to ask permission before taking notes.
Bare broke in 10 minutes later to chastise Adelson for his digressive answers.
"This may sound like your wife again," he said.
"I get it nighttime and daytime!" Adelson responded.
Later, he drew chuckles from all sides when he urged his attorneys to object to the repetition of a question.
On Thursday, when he first took the witness stand before the packed courtroom, Adelson appeared to enjoy himself, joking and flashing a sly smile as he answered questions about how Sands won entry into Macau in the early 2000s.
On Friday, the 79-year-old self-made multibillionaire rode in the courtroom on a motorized scooter with a phalanx of lawyers, assistants and security speed walking behind.
The day's questioning focused on documents sent by Sands executives in 2001, including a letter by former Sands president and chief operating officer William Weidner offering Suen a $5 million success fee and 2 percent of net casino profits.
Adelson — the ninth-richest American, according to Forbes— glowered and claimed ignorance of letters and meetings appearing to show the makings of a deal with Suen.
He portrayed himself as a hands-off manager who allowed others to edit his correspondence, sign his name, and make executive decisions for him. Among other things, he cited the effects of a rare nerve illness, peripheral neuropathy, which first struck him in 2000.
"Bill knew more about Macau than I did. Once I got sick, I couldn't pay attention to anything. It was an extremely difficult period of my life," he said.
Adelson said Weidner, who left Sands in 2009 amid a dispute, may have made unauthorized offers.
On Friday, Adelson argued that even if he had agreed to pay Suen, the Hong Kong fixer would have had to circumvent a competitive bidding process and hand deliver a gambling license to hold up his end of the bargain.
The company ultimately partnered with Hong Kong-based Galaxy Entertainment in 2002 to apply for one of three available licenses.
Galaxy was awarded one of three gambling licenses, but Adelson said the two companies could not reach an agreement, in part because of Galaxy's ties to triads, or Chinese gangs.
Macau then awarded Las Vegas Sands a sublicense, a decision that Suen's lawyers said was a result of their client's earlier lobbying.
Adelson, who became a national figure last year when he and his wife donated an unprecedented $100 million to Republican causes, repeatedly dismissed Suen's worth as an advocate and businessman.
"That assumes I didn't know anything — that I was so stupid I couldn't explain what I do in my life, and what advantages we offer," he said.
As the afternoon wore on, Adelson interrupted O'Malley's questioning to complain that Suen was smirking at him. He went on to accuse former Sands executive Steve Jacobs, who is also suing him, of smirking from the audience.
"It's very disruptive and the judge asked that there be no disruptions," he said.
Sands now derives 60 percent of its profits from Macau, where it owns four casinos. The company also operates the Venetian and Palazzo casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
For much of the day, Adelson faced a second interlocutor: himself, on tape.
That's because this trial played out in Clark County court once before. A jury awarded Suen $58.6 million in 2008, but the Nevada Supreme Court overturned the verdict because the district judge allowed the jury to consider testimony that was found to be hearsay.
O'Malley played the most damning parts of Adelson's previous testimony, prompting the mogul to mutter after one answer that O'Malley was probably now going to play tape showing that he was contradicting himself.
Adelson, who returns to the witness stand on Monday, rounded out the afternoon by recounting under cross examination by his own lawyers how he'd climbed out of poverty in Boston by working jobs as a paperboy and court reporter.
He addressed the jury directly for the first time, and told them he had dreamed of being a singer, or a lawyer.
Hannah Dreier can be reached at http://twitter.com/hannahdreier


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On Thursday, September 13th High Line Art presented One Mile Parkour Film, a day-long performance by Los Angeles-based artist Jennifer West, in which the artist and High Line staff adhered a one-mile-long filmstrip to the entire length of the High Line for one day. Visitors were invited to walk on, touch, draw, dance, and alter the filmstrip, which consisted of images filmed by West in June of locations on and around the High Line.
Check out our slideshow of images of visitors throughout the day leaving their mark on the filmstrip in a variety of fun and inventive ways.
The day began early with the artist and High Line Art staff and volunteers taping the filmstrip to the pathway of the park. In the morning, elementary school children from Public School 3 in the West Village performed a dance on the filmstrip in the Diller – von Furstenberg Sundeck & Water Feature. In the afternoon, visitors could sit down at the Art Station, located in the 14th Street Passage, and use materials such as crayons, ink pads, and sharpies, to alter sections of the filmstrip.
Later in the evening, three Parkour performers – known for their ability to do flips, jumps, and handstands spontaneously in urban environments and rooftops – performed on the High Line under The Standard, New York. Two of the Parkour performers were filmed by West in June in the rail yards section of the High Line and the resulting images were featured in the filmstrip along the park.
At the end of the day, the filmstrip was rolled up and will go back to the artist's Los Angeles studio where she will turn the altered filmstrip into a high definition digital format video which will be shown on the High Line on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 6:30 PM on the High Line under The Standard, New York.


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Team News: Champion Racing – 2013 Lone Star Grand Prix Report
Intrepid North America importer Champion Racing provided factory track support at the 2013 Lone Star Grand Prix held in Lockhart, TX March 2nd & 3rd, 2013 and is very pleased with the race results and podium finishes by the team members.
Brett Berryhill oversaw the trackside program managing the engines, data acquisition and data analysis.
Jesse Woodyard won the #1 top podium spot in both Tag Junior and Stock Honda Junior with the help of his father and mechanic Tory Woodyard. In Tag Junior qualifying Woodyard was 1 second faster than Cole Glasson in P2, won the pre-final with a 13 second lead and repeated the performance in the 12 lap final with more than 20 seconds between him and Cole Glasson. In Stock Honda Junior the competition was a lot closer and Woodyard qualified in P2 just .046 seconds behind pole sitter Derek Scott Jr. Woodyard won both the prefinal and the final heats with just 2 seconds between him and Derek Scott Jr.
Ryan Kinnear teamed up with mechanic Jordy Vorrath for the weekend. Kinnear did not qualify or run in the pre-final in 125 Modified/ICC so he could concentrate on the Stock Honda Light class. However, after starting in the back he finished in 2nd place in 125 Modified/ICC in the final heat! Kinnear qualified 6th in Stock Honda Light, finished the pre-final in 5th place and came in 2nd place, for the second time that day, in the final heat just 2/10th of a second ahead of team member Alex Tartaglia.
Alex Tartaglia had his father mechanic Paul Tartaglia helping him. Alex qualified in 3rd place in Stock Honda Light and was consistent all weekend, finishing 3rd in the pre-final and 3rd again in the final heat right behind team member Ryan Kinnear.
Gary Butler, teamed up with mechanic Aaron Senters, made a strong come back after not racing for 6 years. Butler qualified 6th in the 23 kart TAG Master class, 6th in the pre-final and finished the final heat in the 4th podium spot.
Tyler Fling with mechanic Rodney Berryhill qualified 9th in Stock Honda Light. Fling was in 6th place in the pre-final when he was collected in an accident in the last lap of the heat. After starting the final from 21st place he made it up to 6th place before a reed broke causing him to limp across the finish line in 9th place.
Rey Ferreyro, with the help of his mechanic dad Rey Ferreyro Sr., qualified in 3rd place in Tag Junior, retired early from the pre-final in 5th place and finished the final heat in 3rd spot.
For more information about Champion Racing and Intrepid karts call 405-579-2777 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
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No woriries, I'm not buying this for drysuit weather. The amp 3 4/3 has served me well, but after a few years its time for a changeKamikuza wrote:Should've pointed out that I'm used to colder temps and have more insulation than many people so while I'm warm at 12˚C, others might be suffering - I know the locals are still in dry suits...Laughingman wrote:Thanks for the review Kami... mine is on its way, hopefully I get it before the weekend.
I kited all through winter, as air temp hovered around 0˚C and it was even snowing some sessions - used my 6/5/4 Hyperflex Amp3 and 5mm NPX boots'n'gloves... and was impervious to the weather, totally comfy. Got way too hot when temps climbed, although my 3/2 was too cold. The Switch fills the gap perfectly.


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Talk about your political flip-flops.
Once known for his love of barbecue and impromptu stops at McDonald's, former President Bill Clinton has radically changed his diet, dropped weight and improved his health.
What a difference a quadruple bypass makes.
The former junk food lover, who turned 65 on Friday, now calls himself a vegan, shunning meat, eggs, dairy and almost all oil.
"I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now," Clinton tells CNN.
After experiencing periodic heart problems leading up to the 2004 surgery, Clinton has now lost 20 lbs. and says, "I feel good, and I also have more energy."
Clinton will formally celebrate his birthday with an all-star concert called "Decade of Difference: A Concert Celebrating 10 Years of the William J. Clinton Foundation at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 15.
• Additional reporting by SHARON COTLIAR


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- "That's a Foe-Glass. Lets me keep an eye on my enemies. If I can see the whites of their eyes, they're standing right behind me."
- —Bartemius Crouch Jr, impersonating Alastor Moody[src]
A Foe-Glass is a type of Dark Detector. It looks like a mirror, but instead of a reflection it shows the enemies of its possessor. The figures appear as "shadows" but become clearer and more visible as the enemies get closer to the possessor.
Barty Crouch Jr, while impersonating Alastor Moody, had Moody's Foe-Glass in his office during Harry Potter's fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He said he's not really "in trouble" until he can see "the whites of their eyes."[1] Later in the school year, after Cedric Diggory's tragic death, it was revealed that Crouch's enemies shown in the glass were Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape, all notable members of the Order of the Phoenix. Crouch, however, was too focused on Harry at the time that he did not notice the shadows within the glass was becoming clearer.
When Harry and the other members of Dumbledore's Army first entered the Room of Requirement, he found, among other Dark Detectors, the fake Moody's Foe-Glass. By this time it was cracked, but still functional.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


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If the law of the land allows you to do some things that in fact are a form of deception and cheating, is the money that comes through these things halaal? For example, the law in the land where I am living allows university students to take assistance from various organizations so that they can use that money to do some assignments connected to their studies. Is it permissible for the Muslim in this case to get some of that assistance, i.e., is it halaal for him to take this money?.
It does not seem to us that in the system mentioned there is any form of cheating and deceit; rather we do not think that the law of any country could allow cheating and deceit… Rather cheating and deceit occur when one goes against certain conditions set out by the system to control access to these funds or tries to cheat the law and take what one is not entitled to.
However we do not approve of a Muslim seeking help any organization when he does not really need it, because in this case his hand will be the lower one (the hand that takes). It was narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizaam said: I asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he gave to me, then I asked him and he gave to me, then I asked him and he gave to me, then he said: "O Hakeem, this wealth is green and sweet (i.e., attractive); whoever takes it without asking for it, it will be blessed for him, but whoever takes it with longing, it will not be blessed for him and he will be like the one who eats and is not satisfied. And the upper hand is better than the lower hand."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1403) and Muslim (1035).
If sharee'ah does not like the Muslim's hand to be the lower hand (the one that takes), even if the upper hand (the one that gives) is the hand of a Muslim, then how about if the upper hand is the hand of a kaafir?
The prohibition on asking for help from these organizations is even more emphatic if obtaining it is done by means of something haraam, such as lying and deceit about the information given by the one who is seeking this help, or if taking it will lead to some harm that affects his religious or worldly affairs.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)said: "There is nothing wrong with them taking help and assistance from the kaafir state if that will not result in failing to do an obligatory duty or doing something haraam. They do not have the right to take assistance except in the official manner dictated by the state, and they do not have the right to tell lies in order to get it.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 28/239
See also questions no. 6357, 7959 and 52810.
And Allah knows best.


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Pingree couple finds business they can involve family in
Scott and Melissa Merrill wanted a business/product they could involve their children in.
Eventually they settled upon a Murphy bed company which a Utah man had decided to sell.
"It's something we could do together," Scott said of building and selling the wall beds often seen in old movies.
"They're better than anything on the market and priced better than anyone else, too," he said.
According to Wikipedia, a Murphy bed is also called a pull down or fold-down bed. It is a bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall, or inside a closet or cabinet.
Murphy beds are used for space-saving purposes, much like a trundle bed.
Theyand other family members have been demonstrating their product at home shows around the Intermountain West.
"Our cabinets are 100 percent custom," he said. "We can make them in pine, hickory, oak or whatever you want.
"Murphy beds are really economical," said Melissa. "They're good for guest houses like in Island Park and for offices or dens.
"Most people can't afford to build houses right now, so they're remodeling," Melissa said.
The Merrills will be displaying their product, which they market as Murphy Wallbed Designs, at eight home shows in the next two months.
Both Scott and Merrill also have other jobs. Scott partners with Bobby Hansen Trucking in hauling fertilizer and fire retardant and Melissa is a medical assistant for a doctor in Pocatello.
They have seven children, two of whom are married, and one grandbaby.
"I grew up on a dairy farm in Rockford," Scott recalled. "I've mainly ranched and driven truck."
Melissa is from Ogden, Utah, but moved to Star Valley, Wyo., 15 years ago.
The couple met on the Internet and married about a year ago.
"My mom had (a Murphy bed) in Twin Falls, but ours are not like the wall beds from the old days," Scott said.
"They're safe and they're light and easy to operate," he added.
He noted that his product can be fitted with a pillowtop mattress and a variety of components can be added.
Contact the Merrills at 208-243-8095 or www.murphywallbeddesigns.com for more information.


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The crowds, which outnumbered most Friday night high school games, roared wildly in the arena as these brave alumni took the field.
No one knew what to expect as the players were no longer in the prime of their youth.
Shelby Lopez was ready to cheer, wearing shirts made for her and daughter Sophie, which stated "My daddy is No. 20."
But as the clock ticked down, fans got more than they bargained for.
The Ore City Rebel Alumni football team consisted of 31 players from Classes of 1995 to 2013. Most are "Married with Children", working "9 to 5" to provide for their "Full House", because "Family Matters".
Playing competitive football has been only a memory for most.
But thanks to Alumni Football USA and Coach Rockwell the game has once again become a reality.
After a short few weeks of practice, the game was on between the Ore City Rebels and the Union Grove Lions.
"Well, we destroyed Union Grove, 49-20. Most fun I've had in a long time!" Sean Darnold said.
There was no National Anthem or prayer before kick-off. Esteban Lopez did, however, post a beautiful prayer on Facebook prior to the game: "Dear Lord, We thank you for blessing us with another day of life and another chance to be under the lights. As we get ready to step on the field tonight, be with us and bring us together as brothers, as a team."
Others in the community followed suit and let their prayers for the game be heard as well.
The team entered the field in unique fashion, parading through the stands, slapping hands, and getting the Rebel crowd on their feet and rowdy.
Shockingly, none of these "old men" entered on canes, walkers, or with oxygen tanks in tote.
Instead, Tracy "Stump" Edwards Jr. growled, "I am ready for some good hitting. . . . That first loud crack of helmets is gonna set me off. . . Either part off the steamroller or part of the pavement. . . ."
The game was played according to NCAA rules, with NCAA-licensed officials. And the players surprisingly looked like they were playing in a college bowl game.
Only one of the guys, Johnathan Harris, is actually playing now, for Sterling College.
Steven Rockwell recently graduated from Hardin-Simmons University, where he played running back.
Uvaldo "Bubba" Uvalle will be trying out for the Anderson County Roughnecks as a middle line-backer.
The Rockwell brothers, Geary and Kerry, both played on a semi-pro team a couple of years ago. Other alumni opted out of being on the team to not risk injury, as they are currently playing college ball.
Most of the team still lives locally. However, some did travel to make this game happen. Sean Darnold came all the way from New Mexico, Uvaldo Uvalle came from Palestine, Travis Moser and Mark Sessions from Texas A&M, driving in for practices and the game.
One fan, Jay Williams, drove eight hours to watch this game, and told the team, "you better be cracking some heads."
All of the men played hard and showed they still have what it takes to play the game.
Some key players included Jon Bonnette, who made an amazing appearance throughout the night, including causing a safety, earning him the Defensive MVP title; Adon Saldierno and Sean Darnold, who scored touchdowns; Geary, Kerry and Steven Rockwell, who all made an impact on the score board with touchdowns, extra points and 2-point conversions, said Coach Rockwell.
One player, Steven Rockwell, made an impressive display in six different positions throughout the game.
He scored four touchdowns, a 2-point conversion, and an extra point. One of the touchdowns was so classic that ESPN has contacted him about putting it on the SportsCenter Top Plays of the Week! The footage is on YouTube.com.
If you missed out on this spectacle, you may still have a chance to see these guys take the field, as other schools in the area have also formed Alumni teams, including New Diana and Harleton.
The gauntlet has already been thrown by New Diana, but there has not been a date set as of now.
Following the game, players and fans alike were heard giving praise to Coach Rockwell for doing such a great job with this team.
Everyone was given ample play time, more than expected by some of the team.
Fans were heard saying they would've paid $15 to have seen this great game, and everyone was proud of support of the school, coaching staff and school board. This whole event was like a huge school reunion.
"The game was a positive uplifting atmosphere," said Balinda Rockwell. It "felt like a church revival. God truly blessed this event and those involved."
Geary "G-Rock" Rockwell, Jr. said it all: "I just want to thank all my teammates for such a wonderful time after last night. I feel like I got baptized in holy water, so just wanna thank y'all—the ones that were there, and the ones that didn't play, because you did contribute to this team getting better.
"I'm a whole lot happier than I was, so thank Jesus Christ for the game and getting to play with a great group of men. I love all of ya, but start running when you heal up and get rested, guys. We got Diana next. Thank each and every one of ya and fans, too. Y'all had a big part of it; the ones that was there and not there. God bless you all and God bless the world."


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Pacific Northwest
November, 2010
Regional Report
Want to Learn About Garden Weeds?
If you'd like to learn more about those pesky garden weeds, Weeds of Canada and the Northern United States, by France Royer and Richard Dickinson (University of Alberta Press, 1999; $30) is an excellent resource. The book has photos and line drawings of 175 weed species at different stages of growth and offers information on germination, plant fertility and geographic distribution. There's also a set of quick-reference guides to seedlings, flowers and invasive grasses, so if you're unsure of a weed's identity, you can take the guide outside and use it as a field reference. There's even a ruler printed on the back cover to help you measure plants accurately. I've found it to be exceptionally helpful in my quest to understand the enemy!
Favorite or New Plant
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
This is the time of year when the perennial sedum 'Autumn Joy' finally comes into her glory, producing broccoli-like clusters of flower buds that open into 8-inch heads of densely packed flowers. The flowers start out as pale green buds, open to dark pink, and gradually age to bronze. The flower heads remain on the plants through December in my garden, providing interest in an otherwise dull flower bed. I sometimes harvest the flowers in winter to add to dried flower arrangements.
'Autumn Joy' grows best in full sun in well-drained soil. It can grow to 12 inches tall and may flop over, so consider supporting it with a wire cage.


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Designing the 1993 Robot Competition
The Second Annual Robotics Competition and Exhibition was held in July 1993 in conjunction with the National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. This article reports some of my experiences in helping to design and run the contest and some reflections, drawn from post mortem abstracts written by the competitors, on the relation of the contest to current research efforts in mobile robotics.
Full Text:PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v15i1.1080
Copyright © 2018, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.


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Forced to flee
A once outgoing and precocious pre-teen is now disenchanted with the life that centers around her education, the product of bullying allowed to run amok, according to the child's mother, Coretta Bean. The claims of the child and her parents, backed up by multiple reports filed at the school district and its policing agency, are that the 12-year-old has been the victim of sexual and physical harassment endured daily at Beaumont ISD's Austin Middle School, a place where the girl spends the majority of her day.
"She was once a happy child, and now she's trying to get out of going to school every day," Bean said. "She's basically been having to go to school and be sexually harassed by this other girl – just because this girl's mother works for the school."
Bean said that the harassment was brought to her attention in December 2012, the same time the campus principal, Dr. Aaron Covington, was told of the problem.
In a complaint written by the 12-year-old victim, she outlines her plight to the campus officials: "(The girl bully) has tried to get me to kiss her and give hugs," she wrote. "She gives me a funny look every day like something is wrong. She has written notes asking me to meet her in the restroom. She has asked me out numerous times. Every time she has written me a note, I would throw it away. I have been confronted by other people about her asking me out. She has spread numerous rumors about me, and I want it to stop."
"(Principal Covington) basically said, 'This is what kids do,'" Bean said of what was done in response to her daughter's outcry. "He said it would die down and that everything would be OK."
Since then, Bean said the problems her daughter is having with her classmate have only escalated.
"This other girl wrote my daughter a note on Feb. 11 saying she wanted to make her her (sex) buddy," Bean said. The note, provided to Austin Middle School administrators and The Examiner, uses crude language and is sexually suggestive. Following the letter and a confrontation at a local supermarket, the ongoing nature of the harassment spurred a complaint to BISD's police department.
The next stop was the BISD administration building. Although seeking to consult with Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools Patricia Lambert, Bean was instead met by Assistant Superintendent for Research, Planning, and Education Dr. Dwaine Augustine. Bean was asking for a transfer of schools to get her daughter out of the environment she was in.
"I said I would drive her to whatever school they moved her to; I just needed to get my daughter out of that situation," Bean said. Still, five days after their meeting, Dr. Augustine informed Bean that a transfer was not going to be forthcoming.
"All I wanted was to get my daughter out of that school," she said. "But nobody at the district is trying to do anything to help us. How is bullying not a big deal at BISD?"
According to BISD spokesman Ron Reynolds, bullying and sexual harassment is a serious matter – and strictly prohibited at the district.
"My hands are tied about what I can say to you in regards even to an investigation," Reynolds said, however, citing the Family Rights and Privacy Act. What he could say was that any claim of this nature would – of course – at first, need to be "substantiated like anything else."
Then, Reynolds said, "The principal is responsible for the initial investigation and then informing other parties in the district, if needed, and ultimately making the decision for any further (action)."
There's a wide range of things that could be done, Reynolds said, if a finding of harassment was found. "One action would be informing the parent – conferring with parents." Separating the students would be another action, he said.
"The district looks at every concern on a case-by-case basis," said Reynolds, who then summed up by referring to the Student Handbook for any further guidance about BISD's stance on harassment.
According to the handbook, BISD "believes that all students learn best in an environment free from dating violence, discrimination, harassment and retaliation and that their welfare is best served when they are free from this prohibited conduct while attending school. Students are expected to treat other students and district employees with courtesy and respect, to avoid behaviors known to be offensive, and to stop those behaviors when asked or told to stop.
"Any student who believes that he or she has experienced harassment or retaliation should immediately report the problem to a teacher, counselor, principal or other district employee. To the extent possible, the district will respect the privacy of the student; however, limited disclosures may be necessary to conduct a thorough investigation and to comply with law.
"A student or parent who is dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation may appeal in accordance with policy FNG (LOCAL)."
Bean said little to no action was taken to help her daughter.
"They gave the girl who was sexually harassing and bullying my daughter one day of in-school suspension," she said. "They wanna wait for them to get into a fight or something, then they'd have a justifiable reason to suspend both girls. But I'm not going to let them do this to my daughter."
Bean is now in the process of moving across town to get her daughter out of Austin Middle School and is talking with representatives from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
"What else can we do but pack up and move?" Bean asked, only to answer herself. "I followed the chain of command at BISD, and now I have to do what I have to do.
"I'm going to move so my child doesn't have to be miserable at that school, but I'm not going to go quietly. I don't think it's right the way they've done my daughter, and I want everyone to see how things like this are handled at BISD."
Bean said she was not only worried for her child's safety in school because of this situation, but of the pre-teen's long-term mental health as a result of being constantly terrorized.
"This is the kind of thing that makes kids kill themselves," Bean said. "My child is not going to be a statistic for BISD, though."
"This is my only daughter," the victim's father, Christopher Johnson, said. According to him, the harassment has even spilled over to include other students joining in on the bullying. "They tried to jump on her today (Feb. 27). This is getting out of hand. I've had all I can take of this nonsense.
"When my daughter told (Principal) Covington about being jumped at school, all he told her was to walk away next time. This is just too much. When something goes on with my kids, I take it real personal."
This is not the first claim of claim of student sexual harassment to come from Austin Middle School under Dr. Covington's regime. In May 2012, two 11-year-old girls claim they were sexually assaulted in a Spanish class while the teacher assigned to supervise the students slept.
Jennifer Johnson can be reached at (409) 832-1400, ext. 231, or by e-mail at jennifer [at] theexaminer [dot] com.


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A very new sleep medication, rozerem is based on the over the counter melatonin supplement (and melatonin receptor in the brain). Apparently highly effective at targeting circadian rhythm "issues," and inducing a quick sleep rather than similar meds like ambien which focus on anxiety-related insomnia (and thus, also help the patient sleep longer through the night), rozerem does not chemically relate to ambien, lunesta, or sonata, which, like their benzo cousins, can be high-inducing and mentally and physically addictive. Thus, rozerem is not YET even a controlled substance (apparently tests have shown that the likelihood of addiction is extremely low), and the only "side effects" are (if the drug works with efficacy) sedation. However, it will soon be noted in the psychiatric and pharmacologic worlds that rozerem, like some of the aforementioned medications, indeed DOES induce a weed-like wonderful high, and has, therefore, the propensity for dependence and/or abuse. These effects include lack of coordination, slight memory loss, mild euphoria, mild disinhibition, as well as LIGHT sedation (especially if taken during the day after a full night's sleep). The usual dosing is in 8 mg tablets, but people seeking "rozerem highs" might take as much as a total of 24-32 mg at a time, mix it with booze or other anti-anxiety benzos or sleep aids (such as ambien). While this high lasts only about an hour at maximum, the sedating effect, while unnoticed in the abusing patient, is indeed still in one's system, and rozerem-poppers have been known to abuse the pill during the day, get high, feel "normal," lay off for the rest of the day, and then sleep for as much as 30 hours straight.
Richard was exhausted and popped 16 mg of rozerem expecting to feel just a little sleepy or groggy or to not feel anything at all. Within 15 minutes, however, Richard was high as a kite, almost slurring his speech and staggering like a drunk. Elated from the high, Richard was wired for the remainder of the evening, and then went to sleep for over 16 hours, uninterrupted.
by Arieh August 18, 2006
buy the domain for your pet vlog


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David Brenner Dead - Comedian & 'Tonight Show' Favorite Dies at Age 78
David Brenner, most known for his 158 appearances on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, has died at the age of 78.
The comedian and actor passed away after losing his battle to cancer on Saturday (March 15).
"Brenner died peacefully at his home in NYC surrounded by his family at his side," David's rep shared in a statement to THR.
During his lifetime, David wrote five books and also starred in 1989 romantic comedy Worth Winning.
David is survived by his partner Tai Babilonia and his sons Cole, Slade, and Wyatt.
We send out our thoughts and prayers to David's family and friends during this difficult time.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Contract talks stall over health insurance and other issues
Employees of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center voted overwhelmingly last Thursday to authorize their negotiating committee to plan a picket of the hospital if negotiations failed to achieve a settlement by week's end. When talks failed to progress last Friday, the employee committee notified the hospital that staff would picket on April 3 if no agreement was reached by that date.
Talks continued on Monday and Tuesday, but broke off late Tuesday afternoon. No further negotiations are confirmed at this time.
The current union contract covers approximately 650 staff of the hospital. It expired on Dec. 8, 2012, and was extended by mutual agreement several times while talks continued. Negotiations began in September and were joined by a federal mediator in December. The most recent extension is due to expire on March 31.
After many lean years, with the hospital now in a better financial condition, employees are looking to move toward a more competitive compensation package in order to recruit and retain quality health care professionals.
Key issues left unresolved include health insurance, wages, retirement, and job security issues.
"Our highest priority is to provide the best quality patient care for our community," said Evelyn Harris, a personal care assistant in the emergency room for the past 38 years, and a member of the employee negotiating committee. "To do that, we need to address issues that make sure that Memorial is able to recruit and retain good employees."
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is located at 621 Tenth St., Niagara Falls. It provides acute care, behavioral health, outpatient and emergency services from its main campus and at several locations in Niagara County.
Employees involved in these negotiations work as registered nurses, medical technicians, licensed practical nurses, therapists, social workers, dietary, housekeeping and maintenance employees. The employees are members of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. 1199 SEIU members also work at Mount St. Mary's Hospital, Kaleida Health System, Eastern Niagara Hospital, and at numerous other health care facilities throughout Western New York.


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Some vaccinations are provided free on the NHS, but you will have to pay for others.
Some vaccinations are provided free on the NHS, but you will have to pay for others.
All your child's routine vaccinations are free of charge. This includes all vaccines recommended from birth to the age of 18. For more information, see the NHS vaccination schedule.
The annual flu vaccine is offered free of charge to:
Read more about which adults should have the flu vaccine and which children should have the flu vaccine.
A vaccine to prevent shingles, a painful skin disease, is available free of charge for people in their 70s.
Read more about who can have free shingles vaccination.
The pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against infections such as pneumonia and septicaemia (blood poisoning) is one of the free childhood vaccinations but it's also offered free to adults at higher risk of developing a serious health condition from a pneumococcal infection.
The hepatitis B vaccine is generally given free of charge to people considered to be at high risk of catching the hepatitis B virus, such as people who inject drugs or who change their sexual partner frequently.
However, your GP is not obliged to give the hepatitis B jab free if:
Some employers may have arrangements with a GP or other healthcare service to provide the vaccine free for their employees.
If you need the hepatitis B jab because you're travelling abroad, you will have to pay for it.
Read more about the causes of hepatitis B.
The chickenpox vaccine is provided free on the NHS only for:
Read more information about who should have the chickenpox vaccine.
Some travel vaccines, such as cholera and typhoid vaccines, are generally free, but you will have to pay for others such as yellow fever vaccination.
See which travel vaccinations are free?
Read more answers to common questions about vaccinations.